Chapter 113 Chapter 113 Two Chapters in One
It’s strange, but it seems to be like this every time I play it somewhere else. Just when I’m getting familiar with everything, everything changes again. Now almost all my superiors have changed, and I have to get to know unfamiliar people again in a familiar place.
If it was just Madam Liu, it would be fine, as they knew each other before. But now it was the new arrival of the Xia family, Mrs. Xia, who Madam Liu had already warned her to be careful of, that made Jinniang even a little afraid to approach her.
But she also thought that she was just the wife of a colleague. After all, as Madam Qian said, it was only a year at most, and they did not live with each other every day.
"Have you prepared the gift list for the Xia family?" Jinniang asked.
Ah Ying took it and said, "Look."
Jin Niang smiled as she read what was written on it. It was similar to what she had sent to Qian Niang last time. She could not help but nodded, "Okay, let's do it this way. Let Chen Xiaolang send it over."
After Ah Ying left, Jinniang looked at Fang Madam and did not ask about Madam Xia first. Instead, she asked Madam Liu: "What is the temperament of this lady in her boudoir?"
Madam Liu is the daughter of Liu Jixiang, and also a relative of her mother-in-law. They have quite frequent contacts, so Mother Fang should know about this. Unexpectedly, Mother Fang said, "In fact, Madam Liu was not raised in the Liu family at all. After she was born, people said that she was too tough and if she was left with her parents, she might bring bad luck to them, so she was raised in another family. When our wife saw her, she had already reached the age of marriage."
"No wonder I rarely heard Mrs. Liu mention her when I went to Prime Minister Liu's house." Jinniang thought thoughtfully.
Mother Fang analyzed, "My dear, please forgive me for being so nosy. You are now connected with the Wei family, not to mention the Zhen family. As the saying goes, a bird in the hand is worth a thousand in the bush. Whether Han Zhongshu is good or not, whether Xia Panguan is good or not, it has nothing to do with us. The less people interact with each other, the less right and wrong there will be."
Jinniang nodded: "That's what mom said."
When I first came here, I was unfamiliar with the place and had to pay homage to the gods. Now that I am so familiar with the place, it is not necessary to do so. Thinking so, Jinniang started to manage the family business and continue her embroidery career. Speaking of embroidery, last time Mrs. Wei seemed to still want her embroidered statue of Guanyin on a lotus platform, but of course she didn't give it to her. It's what they call hunger marketing.
She also borrowed Buddha statues from local ancient temples, looked at them, made rubbings of them, and then chose one that she felt she was good at and started painting.
When the Buddha statue was almost finished, Dou Yuan from next door came over. She heard from somewhere that her embroidered statue was efficacious, and said that Luo Jie'er was not feeling well, so she wanted to ask her to hang it over for a few days.
Jinniang asked quickly, "Have you called a doctor?"
Feudal superstition is not acceptable. She is just doing it for her own embroidery business. You can't really believe it.
Dou Yuan hurriedly said, "Yes, it was my mother-in-law who took my sister to play in the garden, and the evil wind entered her body."
"He must have caught a cold. So take the portrait away and return it when the child recovers," said Jinniang.
Dou Yuan naturally thanked her profusely and took it and hung it in her room. At this time, Madam Zhen came over and saw the embroidered portrait. Her eyes sparkled and she asked her again, "How is it? Is the child still having a high fever?"
"It's gone down a little, but the fever is still there. The doctor said to give the medicine later, but the child is too young, and if we inject the medicine into the child, I'm afraid it will flow out." Dou Yuan was also exhausted.
Madam Zhen pointed at the embroidered portrait and asked, "Is this the wife of the Magistrate?"
Dou Yuan nodded: "Yes, it took a lot of effort for my cousin to bring it back to me. Last time when Madam Wei asked for it, my cousin didn't give it to her. This has been blessed and chanted. I heard that my cousin would chant various scriptures every time she embroidered this."
"Then our sister Luo should be fine." Mrs. Zhen chanted Amitabha.
Dou Yuan stayed with her daughter all night, and finally her fever subsided the next day. In the morning, Jinniang came over and touched the child's forehead: "It's okay, the fever will be gone."
"Thanks to my cousin's wife." Dou Yuan rubbed her eyes.
Jinniang felt a little guilty and quickly explained, "It's the doctor you found who's good. You should take care of the child yourself without sleep. It has nothing to do with me. This embroidered portrait doesn't really have much effect. You need to find more doctors for the child."
It would have been fine if Jinniang hadn't said this, but after she said this, Dou Yuan felt that the embroidered portrait was even more precious and was unwilling to lend it. She also begged Jinniang to stay on the baby for a few more days until the baby recovered.
Jinniang naturally agreed.
After returning home, she changed into casual clothes and saw that Madam Liu had sent her an invitation, saying that it was a special welcome party for Madam Xia and asked everyone to go in the evening.
Although time was a bit tight, Jinniang still dressed up and went. Generally, in such formal occasions, female members of the family would wear crowns. Jinniang wore an ivory-white tube top with the Eight Immortals pattern on it, and a light green plain skirt underneath, which was made of the same material as the tube top. On the outside, she wore a long jacket with official green flowers on it. She had her hair in a bun, which she tied with a pearl net and then covered with a gold-thread-inlaid crown. She looked dignified, graceful, and wealthy.
"Madam, the car is ready outside, and we are invited to come over."
Jinniang smiled and said, "Okay, I understand. I'll be right there."
Ah Ying was still a little dissatisfied: "Madam, why don't you wear that dress embroidered with flowers and rich decorations?"
"Just dress normally like this, and don't draw too much attention." Jinniang said.
Three quarters of an hour later, the group arrived at Han Zhongshu's residence. Jinniang and others were welcomed in and listened to Madam Liu introduce the "Rouge Tiger" Madam Xia. Unexpectedly, this person turned out to be a shy-looking woman, quite pretty, about thirty-five or thirty-six years old, and seemed very amiable.
Madam Liu was just asking someone to bring the prepared nectar and said, "Pour this on the mincemeat. It will definitely taste good."
Jinniang poured a little water and ate a piece of fruit cake, then she listened to Madam Liu and Mrs. Xia gossiping.
Although Madam Liu and Jinniang had said a lot about Madam Xia before, it seemed that she had no opinion against her now. Instead, she was very friendly to her. Even the former guest of honor, Mrs. Lan, was not so warm.
Halfway through the banquet, Madam Liu asked the maids in the mansion to come out and sing. This was also the norm in wealthy families, as they could not enjoy their meal without the sound of stringed instruments. Even if there is no one at Jinniang's home, someone has to be sent over.
Jinniang noticed that since the singer came out, she saw Mrs. Xia curl her lips slightly.
Lan was talking to Madam Xia about the local customs and practices of the prefecture: "You came from Shuzhou, so I'm afraid you didn't know that people here have to prepare coats in October. We do have a few shops we often go to, and I can introduce them to you when the time comes."
"That's great. Thank you for your help then." Mrs. Xia said with a smile.
After the banquet, Madam Liu invited them to the inner hall to talk and asked Han Xiao's two concubines to come out and entertain the guests. Jinniang saw that Madam Liu had taken them to the garden last time they went there, and she saw that the wives and concubines in the Han family had a very good relationship and were very happy.
"Madam Wei, why don't you bring your two children here today? Last time I heard from my elder sister (Madam Liu) that she would go to your house and entertain our children well." Madam Guan said with a smile.
Jinniang heard that Guan Xiaoniang was good at making delicious snacks and was a gentle person, so she was quite favored. The eldest son of the Han family was born to her. Sometimes, Jinniang secretly wondered whether everyone who interacted with the Han family had to know some cooking skills.
Coming back to her senses, Jinniang said, "Stop talking, it's just some simple food, it's nothing."
Jinniang didn't have any contempt for the so-called concubines and maids. After all, who wouldn't want to make money in an honest way and live a good life? It's not the limitation of the times.
It would be fine if you don't want to be a virtuous woman and don't take concubines for your husband. But if you want fame and look down on concubines, then you are simply venting your pain on the lower class.
Just like the bright red of those years.
Therefore, although Jinniang and the concubines of the Han family were not very close, they all seemed to be in harmony with each other. Not to mention Lan, she was playing finger-guessing games and drinking with another young lady of the Han family, and they were having a lot of fun.
Probably because she drank too much, Jinniang went to the bathroom and bumped into Madam Xia who was also coming out. Madam Xia had sprained her ankle, so Jinniang quickly asked Zi Teng to help her and asked with concern, "Are you okay?"
Madam Xia shook her head: "I'm fine. Thank you very much. When did you start working in Daming Prefecture?"
"Two years ago." Jinniang basically talks less and reveals less information about herself to people she is not familiar with.
Mrs. Xia asked again whether there were any temples or monasteries in the city. Jinniang introduced them to her. It turned out that Mrs. Xia was a devout Buddhist and it was said that she had as many as ten boxes of Buddhist scriptures and quite a few Buddhist instruments at home.
She even said, "My husband once fell into the water and nearly drowned. He refused to eat or drink, and the coffin was ready. I asked the master for a relic, and he slowly recovered."
Jinniang thought to herself, I embroidered the portrait only for the purpose of finding a new job if I lose my job in the future. Your relic is too exaggerated, right?
After entertaining Madam Xia, Jinniang also invited Han Xiao and Madam Liu to her home for dinner. Jiang Xian said that the two of them had a very pleasant conversation during the Double Ninth Festival. Since they were family friends, there was naturally no need to be polite.
However, Jiang Xian cooked two dishes himself, but gave the honor to Jinniang, "Wait a minute and I'll say it was you who cooked it?"
"Wait, what makes you say I did it? I can't do it at all." Jinniang waved her hands quickly.
If you tell a lie, you have to cover it up with countless lies. Jinniang understands this principle very well. But Jiang Xian said, "My lady, it's mainly because I praised you for your versatility, especially your cooking skills. Now, okay, for my momentary vanity."
He also said, "My dear, please don't be angry with me. I just thought that if Han Zineng likes to eat our food, it would be good for me if we could have more exchanges."
"But you can also say that you did it yourself." Jinniang lowered her head, still a little unhappy.
Jiang Xian said, "My dear, you can punish me by making me kneel on the washboard, but when I stand next to you, you look like a clever person, and you are so good at embroidery, and you are also very smart. Who would think that a clumsy person like me can carve a radish into a flower?"
Jinniang glanced at him and poked his forehead again: "You, I really can't do anything with you."
"Good wife, good sister." Jiang Xian hugged her and kept talking.
Only when he heard outside that Han Xiao and his wife were coming, did he go out with Jinniang in a serious manner. Jinniang couldn't help thinking, what kind of thing is this? He worked hard in the kitchen for an hour, and all the results were his.
Han Xiao is in his thirties, at the prime of life. If Jiang Xian looks handsome and elegant, then Han Xiao looks quite stylish. The couple met them for a while. Jinniang was still thinking about how she should start the conversation, but she didn't expect Jiang Xian to say, "Brother Zineng, this is downstairs."
This is where the benefits of having a man who is particularly sociable come into play.
Jinniang stepped forward again and said, "Master Zhongshu."
Han Xiaoze said, "You're welcome, sister-in-law."
"Then let's take our seats and chat while we eat." Jiang Xian made a gesture of invitation.
The group sat down and Aying arranged for people to serve the dishes. Juxiang was not a great chef, but fortunately there were two dishes made by Jiang Xian to hold the scene. Jinniang was not too picky, especially when there was meat on the table. She usually had a light diet, but would indulge herself a little at banquets.
She first ate steamed sea bass, which was delicious, rich in protein and had few bones.
When Jiang Xian saw Jinniang picking up the sea bass, he just thought she was very cute. Han Xiao originally had no appetite for the dishes on the table, but when he saw Jinniang eating the sea bass, he suddenly wanted to eat the fish he hated the most.
After Jin Niang finished her fish, she picked up a piece of goose breast and listened to Madam Liu talking about the house. She also said, "Someone introduced us to the house, so we decided to buy it. We will just sell it when we leave."
Madam Liu smiled and said, "You are right. Daming Prefecture is also a strategic location, and houses are easy to sell."
"I thought so too." Jinniang also poured a glass of wine for Madam Liu.
As Mrs. Liu was speaking, she saw the pile of fish bones and pig trotter bones in front of her husband. This was a scene she had never seen before. Jiang Xian was also very surprised. He thought that Ju Xiang’s cooking skills were even better than his. Did Han Xiao eat so much of the food she cooked?
After the meal, Jiang Xian gave Ju Xiang an extra sixty coins as a reward.
It was the first time in all these years that Han Xiao had a full meal and he felt drowsy, so he went back to rest. He was a very stubborn insomniac.
Before leaving, Han Xiao said, "His food is more delicious than Lan's. Come to his house more often in the future."
"Okay, as long as you eat well, it's all fine." Madam Liu was also quite pleased.
After the Han family left, Sister Yun came back early. They all went to play polo today and did not go to school and came back directly. Jinniang arranged for her daughter to take a bath and change her clothes before talking to her.
Sister Yun smiled and said, "You don't know how much fun we had playing today. If Sister Ji was here, she's such a great polo player, so we would have won even more happily."
Jinniang heard her talk about the candidates and couldn't help but ask, "How come there are only three people from your girls' school participating? Why do you have to team up with people from outside?"
"Don't mention it. It's because the Sun sisters can't attend." Sister Yun also found it boring.
But the Sun family was also helpless. If they let the two little girls live in the capital city, what would they do if any major chaos happened again and their relatives were not around? The only thing they could do was to let the children come back first. Mrs. Zhou was exhausted from this and now she is in a difficult situation.
Because a large sum of money was spent and I couldn't go there, I had to take care of my sons and daughters at home.
Because she was often away from home, Sun Shichen even took in a beautiful maid, who was her personal maid, Ruoliu. They had originally agreed that when she found a scholar or a businessman in the future, she would be released to the public register and would no longer be a maid. How could I have known that this girl would climb into my bed?
How could she let herself fall like this?
Did she think Sun Shichen would really treat her well? No, Sun Shichen just treated her as a plaything.
"Madam, that little girl Ruoliu has been transferred by the master to the study to serve. Don't you know that the master has given her a lot of money?" Danruo was very dissatisfied.
Zhou Si breathed a sigh of relief. The reason she was silent now was that Sun Shichen did not blame her for her daughter's attendance at the girls' school. Otherwise, if it was pursued, it would be her dereliction of duty. At the same time, she could not let go of Ruo Liu's matter.
I thought they were all her close friends and I was very nice to them, but I didn't expect them to betray me like this.
Ruoliu was standing at the door. She knew that the mistress had the final say in this family, but she was thirty years old and was not like Danruo who was not planning to get married. My wife always says that women don’t need to get married and that it’s fine to be a virgin, but why does she want to get married?
They have been sold here and there like this, and have no family to rely on. If they can give birth to a boy or a girl by following their husband, it would be a success. If I wait a few more years, I don’t know if I can still have a baby?
Seeing Ruoliu like this, Mrs. Zhou Si felt exhausted, and she didn't know how to face this girl who climbed into bed.
…
These bad things caused the Sun sisters to be absent from school, but Jinniang also had a bad thing.
The embroidered image of Guanyin that she hung for Dou Yuan was missing!
"I don't know who took it?" Dou Yuan regretted it very much.
Jinniang glanced at Dou Yuan, wondering if she was really missing or if she had embezzled. Ordinary people cannot enter Dou Yuan’s room, so which thief would dare to enter the room of the daughter-in-law of the Minister of Taichang Temple to steal things?
Therefore, she calmly asked, "Who goes to your room most often?"
Dou Yuan saw Jinniang looking at her and felt that she had no way to defend herself: "My mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and brother-in-law have all sent people to visit."
"It's really strange. Has any servant run away from your house recently?" Jiang Xian was the prosecutor. After hearing about the case, he initially concluded that it was a thief in the house who did it.
Dou Yuan said, "There is one. She was my eldest uncle's concubine when he was alive. She lived with my eldest sister-in-law as a widow for several years. Now she can't stand it anymore, so I let her go."
Jinniang didn't care about relatives or not. She said to Jiang Xian, "Since you are the magistrate, I will report to the authorities. Please make sure to find my things back. This is not a small item..."
If it were to be sold, it would have to fetch at least fifty strings of cash. Now that it is sold under Jinniang's identity, it could even be sold for a hundred strings of cash. This is valuable property.
"That's fine. If even our embroidered portraits were stolen, who knows how much stuff the Zhen family has had stolen." Jiang Xian immediately smoothed over the words, acting as if he was doing the Zhen family's best.
Dou Yuan said, "Sixteenth cousin, you can investigate, but can you do it secretly? I'm afraid it will be bad if it gets out of hand."
Jiang Xian said: "It's nothing, I will check it out myself."
Generally, if something is missing from a relative's house, especially since the Zhen family is a high-ranking official, who would dare to go to their house to check? But Jiang Xian now said this in the name of doing good for the Zhen family, so Dou Yuan hurried back to inform her mother-in-law.
After Dou Yuan left, Jinniang and Jiang Xian looked at each other. Jiang Xian said, "It must be an internal thief. I will scare them first. If they hand over the things, it's fine. If they don't, you can go over and tell them this."
After saying that, he asked Jinniang to come closer to his ear. Jinniang couldn't help laughing and said, "Okay, okay, I think so too."
"Madam, if someone really steals your portrait, it will probably be worth a fortune in the future." Jiang Xian bowed.
Hearing this, Jinniang glanced at him and said, "Life is like waves, with ups and downs. When we are up, we can still keep our money, but when it is down, it is hard to say. But if I know these, as long as you give me needlework, I can still build a family."
Because it was no longer realistic to make clothes day and night at that time. When people reach a certain age, their memory is not as good, their brains are not as fast, and even their eyesight is not as good. If you can embroider two images of Guanyin a year, you can earn nearly two hundred strings of cash, and you can turn your life around at any time.
After Jinniang said that number, Jiang Xian's eyes lit up, "We have two hundred acres of land, and we can only get this much profit when the weather is good. Madam, don't worry, I will definitely dig three feet into the ground to find it back."
"I thought you would just let it go by saying it was just relatives. I didn't expect you to be such a strong man. You really impressed me. I'm fed up with those people who always make their family members suffer and try to please outsiders." Jinniang thought of how Jiang Xian protected herself and cared about her health at her mother-in-law's funeral. She spoke with deep admiration for her husband.
Jiang Xian patted his chest and said, "My lady, what are you talking about? I am definitely not that kind of person."
Jinniang crawled into his arms and said, "Are you talking about her mother-in-law, Madam Zhen? You see, when cousin Dou was talking about who entered her room, she subconsciously put her mother-in-law first."
"Don't worry, I'll threaten them and the stuff will come out. People like them have to have some dignity, but we can't push them too hard." Jiang Xian is quite experienced having handled so many cases.
Dou Yuan went back and said to Madam Zhen, "My cousin said that this person even stole things from my room. I'm afraid it was done by the maids, so I will personally go to investigate tomorrow. Don't worry, I have already told my cousin, so don't make it public for now."
Madam Zhen stopped pinching the beads and said, "How can you let someone come to investigate so easily?"
"Mom, this is my cousin's treasure. Don't worry, my cousin is a famous detective. The only child of the Cui family was hidden in the mine by someone else. He can solve such a rare case, let alone our small case." Dou Yuan said with a smile.
Madam Zhen said, "Oh," "That would be great."
Dou Yuan then walked out the door, looked back and snorted coldly.
The next morning, the disappeared embroidered statue of Guanyin appeared in the garden, and Dou Yuan hurriedly delivered it.
"Cousin, isn't it strange that it appeared in the garden right now? I really can't believe it."
Jiang Xian took it and saw that the white edge was a little dirty, feeling a little distressed. Jin Niang said, "I'll just brush it with a brush later. We are winning without fighting."
The three of them burst into laughter.
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